Post Naruto Days
This is an entry that I've been wanting to write for a long time but I just seem to keep putting it off for some reason. And I know that if I continue to leave some of these words unwritten then they will fade slowly and I don't want that to happen.
Its been ... what? ... a month and a couple of weeks since leaving the beautiful and beloved island of Shikoku. Somewhere inside of me - my head or my heart - my friends, my favourite foods, my favourite places are swimming. Just the other day I dreamed of going to meet Haoliang outside a classroom.
I don't feel depressed. I don't feel sad. I am so amazed that I could go study and live in Japan. But there is a part - and may be a part for quite some time - of me that wants to go back to the backward-forthward country where people sleeping on public transport is the norm...where you can buy teriyaki pizzas...where you can easily fraud the railway system and not buy your proper fare. Ok I don't recommend that you do that...I just said you COULD do it IF you were interested. Not that we are.
The japanese say 一期一会 (ichigoichie) which means one moment in one's lifetime. It means that there is only one time that you can do something exactly the way it is now. Every moment is unique, momentous, precious. Its not exactly a new thought or a very original one. But its a good one. And it helps me describe my year in Japan as a whole. It was one moment in my life and it was amazing and huge and great and sensual and a big learning curve and exciting and wonderful and all these things at once. But so is the moment I am in now...the moment you are in when you read this...and the moment we will be in tomorrow and the next. So I am comfortable with moving on. Saying goodbye to Naruto - happy that we were able to experience each other.
I know that I could pack up and go there any time. If I was that upset about being away then I can make the effort to be back there. Easy. But I know I won’t have that experience again. I won’t live in a dormitory and drink and eat and watch porn with the boys…I won’t go to “The Michael” supermarket and buy the reduced-in-price-but-still-delicious foods for dinner with Seiji before going for a nightrun. I won’t be woken up at S E V E N O ‘ C L O C K ON SUNDAY MORNING by the dorm leader because it’s a stupid and insane Japanese belief that everyone living in the community need to wake up at that time and CLEAN together. Like…DUDE…I pay to live here. Isn’t that enough?
I miss even that!
I miss being at a University of Education.
I miss being stared at on the train just because I’m white.
I miss my amazingly sexy cell phone.
I miss being able to receive e-mails on my cell phone.
I miss playing my music on my cell phone.
I miss keeping my life together on my cell phone.
I miss riding my bike.
I miss living in a dormitory where something would be going on ANY moment of ANY day and you wouldn’t get scared even if you watched a scary movie in the middle of the night because there’d be people moving around and doing things and chatting and laughing and eating.
I miss being forced to drink…ok no I don’t really miss that.
I miss showering with friends.
I miss hot springs.
I miss looking at the beaches in Japan and thinking “god damn am I lucky to be Australian”.
I miss people like Rina and Yusaku and Sunny and Keiko and Heran and Min and Haoliang and Weixia and Makoye and Nori and Seiji and Jun and Huynah.
I miss crossing into town via ferry.
Since leaving Japan in the middle of its sweaty September its turned colder and a little less inviting. But I know that it will soon be the kind of place you can leave footprints in the snow…where everyone will soon be buying KFC for Christmas Dinner because that’s what all the Anglos do…and where the New Years Eve UberConcert will be airing. A part of me wants to see it.
But another part of me is happy to spend this time in sweet Adelaide.
* I just started a B R A N D N E W job at VIP Dance Studio. Its on O’Connel St in North Adelaide (let people know if anybody is interested in dance lessons).
* I feel focused and clear about where I want to go and what I want to do with the rest of my degree and where I want it to take me.
* I’m back with my boy, my family, my friends and having fun and laughing lots.
Now I feel a little up to date. Hope this gives you an insight into what I’ve been doing!
Its been ... what? ... a month and a couple of weeks since leaving the beautiful and beloved island of Shikoku. Somewhere inside of me - my head or my heart - my friends, my favourite foods, my favourite places are swimming. Just the other day I dreamed of going to meet Haoliang outside a classroom.
I don't feel depressed. I don't feel sad. I am so amazed that I could go study and live in Japan. But there is a part - and may be a part for quite some time - of me that wants to go back to the backward-forthward country where people sleeping on public transport is the norm...where you can buy teriyaki pizzas...where you can easily fraud the railway system and not buy your proper fare. Ok I don't recommend that you do that...I just said you COULD do it IF you were interested. Not that we are.
The japanese say 一期一会 (ichigoichie) which means one moment in one's lifetime. It means that there is only one time that you can do something exactly the way it is now. Every moment is unique, momentous, precious. Its not exactly a new thought or a very original one. But its a good one. And it helps me describe my year in Japan as a whole. It was one moment in my life and it was amazing and huge and great and sensual and a big learning curve and exciting and wonderful and all these things at once. But so is the moment I am in now...the moment you are in when you read this...and the moment we will be in tomorrow and the next. So I am comfortable with moving on. Saying goodbye to Naruto - happy that we were able to experience each other.
I know that I could pack up and go there any time. If I was that upset about being away then I can make the effort to be back there. Easy. But I know I won’t have that experience again. I won’t live in a dormitory and drink and eat and watch porn with the boys…I won’t go to “The Michael” supermarket and buy the reduced-in-price-but-still-delicious foods for dinner with Seiji before going for a nightrun. I won’t be woken up at S E V E N O ‘ C L O C K ON SUNDAY MORNING by the dorm leader because it’s a stupid and insane Japanese belief that everyone living in the community need to wake up at that time and CLEAN together. Like…DUDE…I pay to live here. Isn’t that enough?
I miss even that!
I miss being at a University of Education.
I miss being stared at on the train just because I’m white.
I miss my amazingly sexy cell phone.
I miss being able to receive e-mails on my cell phone.
I miss playing my music on my cell phone.
I miss keeping my life together on my cell phone.
I miss riding my bike.
I miss living in a dormitory where something would be going on ANY moment of ANY day and you wouldn’t get scared even if you watched a scary movie in the middle of the night because there’d be people moving around and doing things and chatting and laughing and eating.
I miss being forced to drink…ok no I don’t really miss that.
I miss showering with friends.
I miss hot springs.
I miss looking at the beaches in Japan and thinking “god damn am I lucky to be Australian”.
I miss people like Rina and Yusaku and Sunny and Keiko and Heran and Min and Haoliang and Weixia and Makoye and Nori and Seiji and Jun and Huynah.
I miss crossing into town via ferry.
Since leaving Japan in the middle of its sweaty September its turned colder and a little less inviting. But I know that it will soon be the kind of place you can leave footprints in the snow…where everyone will soon be buying KFC for Christmas Dinner because that’s what all the Anglos do…and where the New Years Eve UberConcert will be airing. A part of me wants to see it.
But another part of me is happy to spend this time in sweet Adelaide.
* I just started a B R A N D N E W job at VIP Dance Studio. Its on O’Connel St in North Adelaide (let people know if anybody is interested in dance lessons).
* I feel focused and clear about where I want to go and what I want to do with the rest of my degree and where I want it to take me.
* I’m back with my boy, my family, my friends and having fun and laughing lots.
Now I feel a little up to date. Hope this gives you an insight into what I’ve been doing!